Undergarment



May 5, 1942. A L, FLESH 2,232,217

- UNDERGARMENT Filed Nov. 22, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1942UNDERGARMENT v Alfred L. Flesh, Piqua, Ohio, assignor to The AtlasUnderwear Com poration of Ohio' pany, Piqua, Ohio, a cor- ApplicationNovemberfZZ, 15140, SerialNo. 366,545'.

(ci. 2-2s4l h' flap is formed to cause the insert to afford the.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to nether garments, such as undergarments of theshorts or trunks types, and is concerned more particularly with a' Atthe present time, mens legless shorts arel made in numerousconstructions, both vwith and without fly openings. Garments withoutsuch openings are worn only with some obvious4 inconvenience and,although those garments are usually intended to have a snug fit, theyprovide little support and the knitted material of which they areordinarily made is likely to stretch and sag during use. Garments withily openings as heretofore made likewise'do not ordinarily affordsubstantial support and, in many constructions, the flaps providing thefly opening either gape or sag apart during use, or else are so formedand located that use of the opening is inconvenient because of `thegreat distortion of the parts that is required. In both forms, it iscommon practise to insert elastic strips in the leg openinghems to causethe hems to fit snugly in the groins of the wearer and the use of suchstrips adds to the cost of manufacture and may cause discomfort to thewearer.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of anovel nether garment which affords the advantages of the prior garmentswith y openings, while avoiding their disadvantages and inconveniences.The new garment includes front and back sections connected at theirupper ends to a waistband which is preferably of elastic material,although it may be of the draw-string type, if desired. The lower middlepart of the 'front section is formed by a fly insert connected at `itslower end to the central portion of the lower end of the back section,and the insert includes a pair of flaps partially overlapping and havingfree lateral edges so that an opening is formed between the aps.

The flaps are made of materials having different degrees of verticalextensibility and resilience and the material of the outer flap has thegreater resilience and is preferably not extensible horizontally. Theiiaps may be made of knitted material, with that used for the outer flapincluding elastic strands so incorporated that the flap has one-wayvertical` stretch. The outer desired support and, at the same time, liessnugly in place so thatthereV is no gaping of the y opening. Inaddition, the resilience of the outer flap causes the crotch portion ofthe garment to be drawn in snugly and applies forces to the leg.

opening hems vwhich prevent them from sagging outvof place, even thoughelastic strips are not inserted in the hems.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference ymay be had tothe accompanying drawing, in which Fig.Y 1 is a view of one form of thegarmentin front elevation with a part broken away;

` Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig.. 3 is an enlarged plan view of material of which the outer flap ofthe y section may be made.- 1

' Referring to the drawing, the new garment is illustrated as includingfront and back sections IIJ, I I which may be made of any suitablematerial, although, preferably, they arev formed of knitted goods andare so cut that the wales of the materialrun vertically. When thusformed,

the sections have horizontal stretch, but are substantially inextensiblevertically. The sections are connected together along the side edges I2of the garment and, for this purpose, the sections. may be fo-nned of asingle length of tubular'fabric or may be secured together by-verticalside seams. At,their upper ends, thesections are connected to awaistband I3 which is preferably made ofan elastic material extensiblecircum-v ferentially .of the garment.

The lower middle part of the front section is formed by a flyinsertwhich maybe secured to the section by a line of stitching I4 which ispreferably of upwardly convex form. The insert includes outer and innerflaps and may be madev in various ways, the'insert illustratedcomprising a rpair of side panels I5, I6 and a central flap I'I. Theupper part of the central flap overlaps the panel It and the latter hasa free edge I8 which, in the construction shown, is slightly curved andextends at an incline to the vertical. One lateral edge I9 of thecentral iiap is secured to the adjacent edge oi the panel I 5 and alsoto an edge 20 of the panel I6. The opposite edge 2| of the central ap isfree and, with this arrangement, separation of the overlapping parts ofthe iiap and of panel I5 provides an opening into the interior of thegarment.

The lower end edge of the back section is provided with Aportions 22a,22h which are con-1 vergently curved and vthe central portion 23 of thelower Vedge. of the back section is connected to the lower end of thefly insert. In the construction shown, the central ilap I1 extendsdownwardly past the ends of the panels I5, I6 and the lower end of theflap is connected to the central portion 23 of the lower end .of theback section. The lower edges 24 of the front section on either side ofthe iy insert and the lateral edges 25 of that insert are cut to provideleg openings 26 and the edges of the openings are nished by hems 21.

The central flap l1 and the overlapped portion 28 of panel I6 form outerand inner fly ilaps and these l'laps are made of materials havingdiffer.l

ent degrees of resilience vertically of the garment. Preferably theouter ilap isgformed of` a knitted material, such as is illustratedinFig. `3,

which has horizontal wales 29 and vertical elasytic strands 30. Suchmaterial is extensiblevertically of the garment and the elastic strandgives it substantial resilience so that it tends to'resist stretch. Theinner flap 28 may also be made ofy knitted material and is preferably anintegral part-of the side 'panel I6 instead of being a separate pieceforming part of the panel. The material Aof the inner ap may have walesrunning horizontally or vertically. If the knitted material hashorizontal wales, the flap will stretch vertically, but will have littleresilience. However, 'aninner flap made of such materialisprevented fromsagging by the resilient outerap. If the inner flap is made of materialhaving vertical wales, it will have substantially no vertical stretch,but the insert as a whole may yield vertically because the outer flaphas a portion lying beyond the lower end of the inner flap. Regardlessof whether or not the inner ilap is made of knitted or woven material,or if made of knitted materialwhether the wales run horizontally orvertically, theelastic -strands 30 incorporated in the outer flap makethat flap appreciably more elastic in a vvertical direction'than the-inner iiap side panel l` is preferably made of the same material lasthat used in the side panel I6.

With thevconstruction described, the lower end of they insert forward ofthe center of the crotch is formed entirely by the outer flap whichis'made of the resilient material` and is capable of expanding toy forma pouch-like supporter. The resilience of the material in the outer iiaptends to keep the garment taut in the crotch and in the regionimmediately upward therefrom along the front and that material tends tokeep thevgffreeedge 2| of the flap from gaping.

`It'will benoted that the lateral edges 25 of the lower end of the outerflap form sections; of the margins of the leg openings and, since theelastic ymaterial in the outer ap tends to contract at `all times, thedrawing in of these sections exerts a circumferential pull on theremainder of the leg opening hems which insures that those hems will fitsnugly around the legs. As a consequence, it is not necessary to employelastic strips in the leg opening hems of the new garments in order toobtain a snug fit, whereas in prior garments, such strips are commonpractise.

I claim:

1 lA nether ygarment having leg openings which comprises front and backsections connected along the sidesof'the garment, a y secbers havingupwardly-extending, oppositely-disposed, free lateral edges, said apmembers being disposed so that the space between them and between theirupwardly-extending edges affords access to the inside of the lower frontportion of the garment, one of said flap members being appreciably moreelastic in a direction vertically of the garment th-an the other flapmember, the flap member of greater elasticity forming a part of the legopenings and extending below the other flap member and being connectedto the central portion of the lower end of the back section,

flap member tends to 2.A vnether garment having leg openings t whichcomprises front and back sections connected along the sides of thegarment, a ily sectionat the lower middle part of the front sectionincluding inner and outeroverlapping flap members havingupwardly-extending, oppositely-disposed, free lateral edges., Said flapmembers being disposed so that the space between them and between theirupwardly-extending edges aords access to the Yinside of the lower frontportion of the garment, one of said ilap members being extensiblevertically and having vertically-extending, elastic strands incorporated,therein to make it appreciably more elastic in a direction verticallyof the garment than the other flap member, the flap member vof greaterelasticity forming a part of the ,legY openings and extending below theother flap member Iand being 4connected to the central portion of thelower Iend of the back section, whereby the contractability oftheelastic maintain the leg openings contracted.

3. A nether garment, having yleg openings bers havingupwardly-extending, oppositely-disposel, free lateral edges, said flapmembers being disposed so that the space between them and between theirupwardly-extending edges affords access to the insidej ofthe lower frontportion of the garment, the outer flap member being extensiblevertically andV yhaving vertically-extending,l

elastic strands incorporated therein to make it more elastic inadirection vertically of the garment than the inner flap member, theouter iiap member forming a part of the leg openings and extending belowthe inner iiap member and being connected to the central portion of thelower end of the back section, whereby the contractability of the outerilap member tends to maintain the leg openings contracted.

4. A nether garment having leg openings which comprises front and backsections connected along the sides of the garment, a y section at thelower middle part of the-front section including inner and outeroverlapping flap members having upwardly-extending, oppositely-disposed,free lateral edges, said ap members being disposed so that the spacebetween them and between their upwardly-extending edges alords access totheA inside of the lower front portion of the garment, both of said lapmembers being of knitted material, the outer flap member beingextensible a vertical direction to an appreciably greater extent thanthe inner ilap member and having vertically-extending, elastic strandsincorporated therein to make it more elastic in a 'direction verticallyof the garment than the inner flap meinber, the outer flap memberforming a part of the leg openings and extending below the inner flapmember and being connected to the central portion of the lower end ofthe back section, whereby the contractability of the outer iiap membertends to maintain the leg openings contracted.

5. A nether garment having leg openings which comprises front and backsections connected along the sides of the garment, a fly insert formingthe lower middle part of the front section and secured thereto, theinsert including side panels and a central flap member secured along oneside edge to one side panel and overlapping the other side panel, atleast a part of the other side edge of the central flap member and theunderlying side edge of the overlapped panel being free, said free edgesextending upwardly and being oppositely disposed, the central nap memberand the underlying side edge being so disposed that the space betweenthem and their upwardly-extending free edges aords access to the insideof the lower front portion of the garment, the central iiap member andthe overlapped side panel being of materials having different resiliencein a direction vertically of the garment, the central ap member beingappreciably more extensible and elastic in a direction vertically of thegarment than the overlapped side panel, and a connection between thelower end of the insert and a central portion of the lower end of theback section.

6. A nether garment having leg openings which comprises front and backsections connected along the sides of the garment, the lower edge of theback section having portions converging to define a central crotchpiece, a y insert forming the lower middle part of the front section andsecured to the forward end of the crotch piece, the fly insert includinginner and outer overlapping flap members, said iiap members havingupwardly-extending, oppositely-disposed, free lateral edges, said flapmembers being disposed so that the space between them and between theirupwardly-extending, free lateral edges aords access to the inside of thelower `front portion of the garment, the outer iiap member beingextensible vertically to a greater degree than the inner flap member andhaving vertically-extending, elastic strands incorporated therein tomake it more elastic in a direction vertically of the garment than theinner flap member, the lower edges of the front and back sections, thelateral edges of the crotch piece and lateral edges of the fly insert,including lateral edges of the outer ap member, forming leg openings forthe garment, the contractability of the outer flap member tending tomaintain the ieg openings contracted.

'7. A nether garment having leg openings which comprises front and backsections connected along the sides of the garment, a fly section at thelower middle part of the front section which includes a pair of flapshaving overlapping areas, each of said areas having a free edge and thefree edges of the areas being oppositely disposed and spaced apart, theremaining edges ofthe two aps dening said areas being connectedtogether,

said areas of the ap members being so disposedl that the space betweenthem from the free edge of one area to the free edge of the otheraffords access to the inside of the lower front portion of the garment,one flap member having verticallyextending elastic strands incorporatedin it to make it more elastic vertically of the garment than the otherflap member, said flap member with the elastic strands extending belowthe other iiap member and having a portion lying between the legopenings and having edges partly dening said openings, the lower end ofsaid portion being connected to the lower end of said back section,whereby 4the contractability in a vertical direction of said ap memberwith the elastic strands tends to maintain the leg openings contractedand to cause said flap member to fit the body of the wearer snugly.

ALFRED L. FLESH.

